Fastener supply device

ABSTRACT

A magazine-type fastener supply device attached to a powerdriven tool and adapted to feed fasteners into a fastening position with the supply device held in any position. The supply device includes a conduit which a column of side-by-side fasteners are moved along by the action of a stream of air flowing through the conduit. The conduit terminates at its downstream end at a fastener retaining station, one side of which is bounded by a split diaphragm which releasably holds a fastener in the retaining station. A plunger adjacent the retaining station and opposite the diaphragm is operable on actuation to thrust a fastener in the retaining station endwise through the diaphragm and into a fastening position. The plunger is rotatable and is driven by the tool.

United States Patent 72] Inventor Charles E. Kerr, Jr.

Hillsboro, Greg. [2]] Appl. No. 785,176 [22] Filed Dec. 19, 1968 [45]Patented Feb. 9, I971 [73] Assignee Eltec, Inc.

Lake Oswego, Oreg. a corporation of Oregon [54] FASTENER SUPPLY DEVICE 8Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 22l/224; 221/267, 221/278 [5 I Int. Cl B65h 5/00 [50] Fieldof Search 221/278, 224, 267, 226

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,493,868 1/1950 Griffin"...221 27sx Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Att0meyl(olisch & HartwellABSTRACT: A magazine-type fastener supply device attached to apower-driven tool and adapted to feed fasteners into a fasteningposition with the supply device held in any position. The supply deviceincludes a conduit which a column of side-by-side fasteners are movedalong by the action of a stream of air flowing through the conduit. Theconduit terminates at its downstream end at a fastener retainingstation, one side of which is bounded by a split diaphragm whichreleasably holds a fastener in the retaining station. A plunger adjacentthe retaining station and opposite the diaphragm is operable onactuation to thrust a fastener in the retaining station endwise throughthe diaphragm and into a fastening position. The plunger is rotatableand is driven by the tool.

PATENTED ma m Fig 3.

Charles E-KerrJr.

BY INVENTOR 5504+ W FASTENER SUPPLY DEVICE This invention relates to amagazine-type fastener supply device.

In the assembly of many structures, such as the frame of an aircraft, itis necessary to join members in the structure with a multiplicity ofscrewable fasteners. This operation may be performed with a significantreduction in labor cost by using a power-operated tool such as apower-operated wrench, where such tool is provided with a device forautomatically feeding fasteners one after another into a fasteningposition. The device for feeding fasteners preferably should be compactand light in weight, to permit it to be handled easily. The device alsoshould be capable of feeding fasteners at any position that thepower-operated wrench is held.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel fastener supplydevice which is simple and reliable in operation.

ble of supplying fasteners with the tool with which it is incorporatedheld in any position. i

The supply device of the invention may be constructed as an attachmentfor a power-driven tool; or as an integral part of the tool.

More specifically an object isto. provide a novel supply device whichincludes a conduit forming a course along which a column of side-by-sidefasteners'may be moved, with the conduit terminating at its downstreamend at a retaining station. Fasteners within the column are urged tomove in a downstream direction toward the retaining station by a' streamof fluid (usually air) flowing through' the conduit. Yieldable stopmeans at the retaining stationr'eleasably holds a fastener therein andan ejector is operable to eject a fastener endwise Another object is toprovide a fastener supply device capafrom the retaining station and moveit beyond the stop means toward a fastening position.

Still more specifically, an "object is to provide in such a supplydevice a novel diaphragm which forms a yieldable stop means, and apower-operated plunger opposite the diaphragm which upon actuationadvances toward the diaphragm to thrust a fastener through it.

These and other objects and advantages will become more fully apparentas the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of. a fastener supply device constructed inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention, shown attached to apower-operated toolfwith portions of the supply device and toolbroken'away;

member 18 of the tool. A screw-tightened split-ring clamp 34 secured tothe right end of barrel section 32 in FIG. 1 serves to secure the supplydevice to tool 10.

A helical portion of conduit 38 is defined within the wall of barrelsection 32. This portion of theconduit spirals from an upstream end 38a,at the right of barrel section 32 in FIG. I, toward the left in thatfigure. Conduit portion 38 is noncircular in cross section, and is ofsuch size as to receive a column of fasteners, such as nuts 40, with thenuts in sidc-by-side relation to each other andwith a common set of nutends facing a common side of the conduit portion. For the sake ofsimplicity, nuts have not been illustrated filling the entire conduit.It should be realized, however, that the conduit portion may becompletely, or only, partially filled with a column of such fasteners.with the fasteners in abutting edge-to-cdge contact. The conduit portionis filled with nuts through a capped opening adjacent end 38a which isnot shown in FIG. l-as being part of structure broken away from thedrawing.

Secured to the left, or downstream end of barrel section 32 is adisc-shaped end plate 44. As is best seen in FIG/2, plate 44 has aspiral channel 46 defined therein, constituting another conduit portion,which has a cross section similar to the cross section of conduitportion 38. Conduit portion 46 spirals inwardly from and forms anextension of conduit portion 38. Thus, the conduit portions may bethought of as collectively forming a single conduit. Conduit portion 46terminates at what is referred to herein as a fastener retaining station48 adjacent the center of the plate. I

A bore 52 extends inwardlyfromthe left face of plate 44 and part waythrough the plate. Set within this bore against floor 47 is adisc-shaped elastomericdiaphragm 54. As is best seen in FIG. 2,diaphragm 54 is split transversely along angularly disposed lines, thusto'form a cross-shaped opening 56 through the diaphragm. Diaphragm 54provides what is referred to herein as a yieldable retainer means at theretaining station for releasably holding a fastener in the station. Withdiaphragm 54 being made of an elastomeric material and being split, itpermits a nut to be forced endwise therethrough, as will be discussedfurther.

A cylindrical guide member 60 is secured to plate 44 with its right endin FIG. 1 set within bore 52 and against diaphragm 54. A bore 62 extendsaxially through the guide member and is aligned with the retainingstation. As is seen in FIG. 1, a downstream, or left, end portion 62a ofbore 62 has a cross section sufficient to accommodate the movement of aFIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the supply device, taken generallyalong the line 2-2 inFIG. l; and

FIG. 3 illustrates aportion vofthe'supply device of FIG. 1 duringoperation. I

Referring now to the drawings, the first more specifically to FIG. 1, at10 is indicated an air powered tool similar to a conventionalair-powered wrench. The. tool includes a handle 12, a trigger l4, and arotor housing 16 having a hollow cylindrical forward end portion 16a atthe left end of tool 10 in FIG. 1. A rotatable drive member 18 ismounted in a recessed portion within end portion 160. An elongatedsocket18a (dotted outline), which has a noncircular cross section, extendsaxially inwardly from the left end of the drive, member. An air hose 22connected to the base of handle 12 is adapted to supply air underpressure to the tool. The tool operates in a conventional manner. Uponpulling trigger l4air under pressure from hose 22 is admitted to thetool causing drive member 18 to be rotated under power. i

One end of an elongated air supply line 26 is tapped into the rear endof housing 16 of the tool in such a manner that it is fastener throughit. The right end portion of the bore 62b (adjacent the diaphragm) has alarger diameter and is beveled at 62c. i

Referring againto the right end of the supply device in FIG. 1, it willbe seen that an end of a fluid-supply line 66 is secured to clamp ring34, and a fluid inlet aperture 68 is defined through the clamp toprovide fluid communication between line 66 and the upstream end of theconduit. Supply line 66 is adapted to be connected to a source of fluidunder pressure, such as air. With fluid under pressure supplied throughaperture 68 an air stream is produced within conduit 38 which passesover fasteners within the conduit and exhausts through opening 56 in thediaphragm. The stream acts as biasing or advancing means urgingfasteners in the conduit toward the retaining station. I

Mounted within barrel section32, is a spool-shaped element 72. Element72 comprises a hollow cylinder 72a and opposed spaced-apart end plates72b, 72c'with peripheries extending radially outwardly from cylinder72a.End plate 72b has a bore 74 extending axially through its center. Theouter end of the plate rests flush against end plate 44 to enclosechannel 46. Bore 74 is aligned with the fastener retaining station inthe end plate and bore 62 in the guide member.

End plate 72c of the spool-shaped element has a bore 76 extendingaxially therethrough which is aligned with bore 74 in the other endplate, and with socket in drive member 18. With the supply devicesecured to, the tool, the outer end of end plate 720 fits snugly againstthe outer, or left, end of end portion 16a of the tool housing.

A fluid inlet port 78 extends radially outwardly through end plate 72cfrom the hollow interior of cylinder 72a. Encircling barrel housing 32,in line with end plate 72c, is a ring member 82 to which is secured oneend of air-supply line 26. A port 84 extending inwardly through ring 82and barrel housing 32 connects with port 78 to provide a passage throughwhich fluid under pressure supplied through line 26 may be injected intothe interior of cylinder 72a.

Reciprocably mounted within cylinder 72a is an elongated plunger 86which extends through bores 74, 76 in the end plates of element 72. Theright end of plunger 86. has a noncircular cross section whichsubstantially matches the cross section of the socket in drive member I8of the tool, and is slidably received in the socket. With plunger 86thus received in the socket of drive member 18, it may be reciprocatedrelative to the drive member. The noncircular cross section of theplunger establishes a connection between the plunger and the drivemember whereby they rotate simultaneously.

The forwardmost, or left end of plunger 86, adjacent the fastenerretaining station, has a recessed socket 86a defined therein which has across-sectional outline substantially similar to that of the peripheryof a fastener carried in the device. This socket is adapted to receive afastener.

Mounted within cylinder 72a and secured to plunger 86 is a piston 88.Fluid underpressure supplied to cylinder 72a and against the right sideof piston 88 through port 78 acts to bias the piston and plunger toward.the left in FIG. I and toward and through diaphragm 54. The plungerthus is adaptedto move laterally of the conduit and retaining station toforce a fastener from the retaining station and through the diaphragm.

I A compression spring 90 within cylinder 72a is supported at one endagainst end plate 72b and at its other end against piston 88, to biasthe piston and plunger toward the right in FIG. 1.

Explaining now the operation of the supply device, fasteners such asnuts 40 are placed side-by-side in conduit 38 with common ends of thenuts facing a common side of the conduit. As' used herein, an fend" of afastener refers to an extremity in an axial direction. The nutsillustrated have a washerlike end portion, which with the fastenerscrewed onto a workpiece will provide an enlarged bearing surface, whilethe remainder of the nut has a substantially hexagonal cross sectionpermitting it to be driven rotatably. A substantially continuous supplyof air is supplied through line 66, with the air then entering conduit38 and passing in a stream over nuts 40 prior to exhausting through theopening in the diaphragm. This urges the nuts to move along the conduitin a downstream direction, with the nut which is furthest downstreambeing moved laterally into the fastener retaining station. The biasingaction of the air streams follows the helical course of the conduit andworks with the tool in any position.

The retaining station is bounded onits sides by the sidewalls of channel46, at the right in FIG. 1 by an end of plunger 86, and at the left inFIG. 1 by diaphragm 54.

To fasten one of the nuts onto a threaded stud bolt 96 which projectsoutwardly from a workpiece 98 as shown in FIG. 3, the forwardmost end ofguide member 60 is placed against the surface of the workpiece with studbolt 96 projecting into bore 62.

On pulling trigger 14, the tool drive member 18 is caused to rotate, andair under pressure is supplied through line 26 against piston 88. Therotation .of drive member 18 causes the plunger to rotate, and air underpressure introduced behind the piston urges it and the plunger towardthe diaphragm. As the plunger advances toward the diaphragm, the nutwithin the fastener retaining station moves into socket 86a in theplunger and thence rotates with the drive member and plunger. Furthermovement of the plunger moves the fastener through the diaphragm asillustrated in FIG. 3. with enlarged portion 62b of bore 62 in theguidemembcr receiving folded back portions of the diaphragm. Theeventually is guided onto the stud bolt whence it becomes screwed inplace.

, In case of of socket 860 in the plunger with a nut on initial advanceof the plunger. the diaphragm acts lightlyto hold the nut against thcrotating plunger until registry is reached.

Once the trigger IS released, drive member I8 ceases to rotate and airceases to be supplied through line 26 to one side of the piston. Springthen biases the piston and plunger to the right in FIGS. 1 and 3, toplace once again the plunger in the position shown in FIG. 1 therebypermitting the advancement of another fastener intothefastener retainingstation.

The device involves relativcly fewmoving parts. is fast and reliable inoperation, can hold a large supply of fasteners. and obviously hasnumerous other advantages.

While an embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it isnot intended to be specifically limited to the structure disclosed.

Iclaim:

l. A magazine-type fastener supply device comprising a conduit having adownstream end and terminating at its downstream end at a fastenerretaining station, said conduit upstream from said station having anoncircular cross section which is shaped to hold a column of fastenerswith such fasteners side-by-side in such column and maintained by theconduit with a common set of fastener ends facing a common side of theconduit, fluid flow advancing means for biasing a column of fastenerswithin the-conduit toward said fastener retaining station including aninlet for introducing fluid under pressure into the conduit and anexhaust downstream from said inlet with fluid on flowing between saidinlet and exhaust producing a stream for carrying fasteners along theconduit.

retainer means at said retaining station releasably holding a fastenerin the retaining station, and

ejector means actuatable to effect ejection of a fastener from saidretaining station. I

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said ejector means comprises apower-operated ejector which is actuatable to thrust a fastener pastsaid retainer means.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the conduit extends in a helicalcourse.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said retainer means comprises anelastomeric diaphragm which is split to permit a fastener to be movedtherethrough.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said exhaust means comprises anopening defined through said diaphragm.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein said ejector means comprises a plungerdisposed opposite said diaphragm adjacent said retaining station, saidplunger upon actuation advancing toward said diaphragm to force afastener in said retaining station through said diaphragm.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said plunger is partially mountedwithin an elongated hollow cylinder, a relatively reciprocable piston ismounted in said cylinder and is secured to said plunger, the plungerextends-out from said cylinder toward said-diaphragm, and fluid passagemeans is provided for supplying fluid under pressure to one side of saidpiston'to advance said piston and plunger toward said diaphragm.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein said diaphragm is positioned tosupport an end of a fastener in said retaining station the ejector meanseffects ejection by shifting a fastener endwise through said diaphragm,and guide means is provided for receiving a fastener moved through saiddiaphragm by said ejector means.

1. A magazine-type fastener supply device comprising a conduit having adownstream end and terminating at its downstream end at a fastenerretaining station, said conduit upstream from said station having anoncircular cross section which is shaped to hold a column of fastenerswith such fasteners side-by-side in such column and maintained by theconduit with a common set of fastener ends facing a common side of theconduit, fluid flow advancing means for biasing a column of fastenerswithin the conduit toward said fastener retaining station including aninlet for introducing fluid under pressure into the conduit and anexhaust downstream from said inlet with fluid on flowing between saidinlet and exhaust producing a stream for carrying fasteners along theconduit, retainer means at said retaining station releasably holding afastener in the retaining station, and ejector means actuatable toeffect ejection of a fastener from said retaining station.
 2. The deviceof claim 1, wherein said ejector means comprises a power-operatedejector which is actuaTable to thrust a fastener past said retainermeans.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the conduit extends in ahelical course.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said retainer meanscomprises an elastomeric diaphragm which is split to permit a fastenerto be moved therethrough.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein said exhaustmeans comprises an opening defined through said diaphragm.
 6. The deviceof claim 4, wherein said ejector means comprises a plunger disposedopposite said diaphragm adjacent said retaining station, said plungerupon actuation advancing toward said diaphragm to force a fastener insaid retaining station through said diaphragm.
 7. The device of claim 6,wherein said plunger is partially mounted within an elongated hollowcylinder, a relatively reciprocable piston is mounted in said cylinderand is secured to said plunger, the plunger extends out from saidcylinder toward said diaphragm, and fluid passage means is provided forsupplying fluid under pressure to one side of said piston to advancesaid piston and plunger toward said diaphragm.
 8. The device of claim 4,wherein said diaphragm is positioned to support an end of a fastener insaid retaining station, the ejector means effects ejection by shifting afastener endwise through said diaphragm, and guide means is provided forreceiving a fastener moved through said diaphragm by said ejector means.